The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided in this application is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Machines that throw balls are not new. U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,743, which issued on Dec. 10, 1957, is an early testament to the enduring innovation in this field. The '743 patent describes an early ball-tossing machine. Since the time of the '743 patent, many other inventors have developed their own iterations of a ball-tossing machine.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,953, which issued on Oct. 18, 1983, describes a ball tossing machine that incorporates an underhanded swinging motion. But the '953 patent fails to appreciate advances in technology that make new types of pitching machines viable.
In the past few years, inventors have continued the decades-long effort to improve ball throwing technology. For example, U.S. Patent Appl. No. 2016/0250536 is directed to an overhand pitching machine. The '536 application, like the '953 patent and the '743 patent, fails to appreciate improvements in technology that facilitate the creation of ball throwing machines that can better mimic a natural toss.
These and all other extrinsic materials discussed in this application are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided in this application, the definition of that term provided in this application applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
It has yet to be appreciated that ball tossing machines can be created to better mimic a human toss.